


To Sing

by Unimpairable



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Chinchilla!Jeremy - Freeform, Hybrid AU, Mild Sexual Content, More Plot than Romance, Pet scenario, Slow World Building, cat!Michael, lyrebird!Gavin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-14 10:42:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9178159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unimpairable/pseuds/Unimpairable
Summary: Hybrids are a rare and valuable thing in this world, with almost all of them winding up as pets or trophies of some sort. Ryan and his two friends Jack and Geoff decide to invest in one for themselves and take home three new arrivals in the local pet shop. It quickly proves to be more challenging as the humans slowly come to realize that these creatures should have lives of their own.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A fic I've been working on for quite some time and going to be a large chapter slow building story. Chapters will be released as soon as I come close to finishing the next one. 
> 
> Note about the world: Hybrids are smaller than humans. Rarely reaching a height of 5'5" or more.

Gavin used to love to sing. It was his favorite thing to do as a child. He'd race around outside, outstretch his tiny wings that could never hope to sustain flight, and he'd sing. Sing till his throat dried up and he'd cry as his mother gave him medicine to soothe the pain. He didn't have the most beautiful voice of all the bird hybrids, that was for sure. There were plenty more in the world. Far prettier plumage and voices that came from the heavens. Gavin knew he was better suited for speech rather than song. That didn't stop him. 

What did stop him was the year that his village of hybrids was seized by the humans and he was taken captive. He remembered screaming for his mother as they cut her wings and yanked her to the ground. He remembered watching them break one of his best friend's wings right in half. He remembered the screaming and when the humans took hold of him, he didn't dare fight. He was terrified, he just wanted to be okay. He did everything they said and sometimes, they called him a good boy. 

Those rare moments as they took him in a giant airplane, locked him in a cage, and he was taken overseas to America. He was sent to a hybrid farm, where people like him were raised with the sole intention of being pets to those that could afford their high price tag. He arrived and they clipped his wings though they were still too weak to fly. Precautions, they said. He was allowed to walk about but if he got too close to the fence he'd get shocked. They fed him a controlled diet, taught him never to speak. That was okay, he didn't want to speak.

He didn't want to make a single sound. 

Other hybrids, older ones, they took him in without question. Protected him and held him at night when he cried for his mother. They had been there longer than him and he expected to never get free if they hadn't. He grew in a quiet dull world and over time his feathers began to wilt from the lack of proper care. 

He never made a sound however. Never once a complaint and did everything he was told. Especially when they ordered him back inside a cage and he was shipped off to a store. A pet store. Hybrids in that area were becoming popular and the store wanted to cater to demand. He and two others were sent there. A strange combination of species. A bird, a cat, and a chinchilla. 

Gavin recalled falling asleep and waking up to the loud squawking of regular birds in cages nearby. He shuffled from his corner to get a look around and found humans of all kinds staring back up at him. He suddenly felt self-conscious and blushed when a little girl in her father's arms pointed at his wings. 

He heard them talking but he couldn't quite make out what the words meant. A lot of English had been lost on him over the years. He felt eyes on him, which was weird to him considering how much he was being stared at and he lifted his gaze. There in the crowd was an older man, ice blue eyes boring holes through the bird and he shrunk back. The man looked mean, smelled off to him and he wanted to curl up back in his corner to avoid it. 

Soon the man was joined by two others. They had facial hair and part of Gavin was curious about it. It was rare for hybrids to grow facial hair themselves unless their species really called for a lot of fur. So it struck him as odd to see such fluff on a human. The three men conversed for a moment, nodded and then they were pulling away. The bird let loose a sigh, thankful to be out of their line of sight and nearly jumped when he noticed a human poking through the bars of his cage curiously. 

Before he could get back far enough however, a sales attendant was rushing forward to stop the human and usher them back. Gavin could smell fear on the humans suddenly and he sighed. He knew without knowing the language that they were calling him dangerous. He would never hurt a fly. 

He just wanted to be free. 

The night was spent in darkness, silence as the shop closed down and no more humans bustled about. Gavin fell asleep against the cold steel plated wall and woke up only when he heard loud keys jingling. The sales attendant was back bright and early, going for his cage and he was alert in seconds. He felt eyes on him again and he looked up past the man's head to see those blue eyes once more. The men had returned...and from the looks of things, they were intent on purchasing Gavin. 

"The cages come free with purchase of course." The attendant was saying, though Gavin just tilted his head as the man moved about. "You'll be needing to start a care package right? All of you?" 

The cage door opened and the man reached in, going for him. He latched onto Gavin's leg and the bird's instant reaction was to flail about in the tight box. He smashed his wings against the roof and walls, clawed at the back though he couldn't get a grip and he was dragged onto the cold tiled floor just outside. His wings were gripped, pinned down so they couldn't smack anything anymore and he was ordered to stay quiet. 

He knew that word and he knew it was useless. He never made a sound, even when he was scared. 

Gavin found himself stuffed into another cage, larger than his last one and with a clear view of everything around him. He felt a rumble through the floor and noticed he was moving, being pushed by the man who had just grabbed him. He looked back out the side to see the men following and two cages rolling after. The cat and chinchilla hybrid were looking equally confused in their own, casting nervous glances at Gavin but he just nodded in response. 

They were loaded into a large red pickup truck and their cages strapped to the bed tightly. Boxes of items followed after them and the men climbed into the vehicle to start the journey out. Land and sunshine rolled past them, cars honked their horns and startled the hybrids but humans would call out to them in curiosity. When they stopped at a streetlight, people on the sidewalk were pointing to them and then they were driving along a back country road. Past fields of farm life that teamed with corn and a few sheep hybrids being guided by men with sticks. 

The sheep called out to the new pets but they didn't answer back. 

The truck eventually stopped and the men were moving to pull the cat hybrid's cage out. He hissed in protest but one of the facial haired men just laughed it off and took some of the items with him as he pulled them inside a nearby house. Gavin looked to the chinchilla who looked far more worried at being separated from one of them and soon they were on the move again. Down the road to another house and Gavin was now alone in the back of the truck. When the vehicle stopped this time, it was in front of a larger community house and the man with blue eyes struggled to get his cage out. 

They went up an elevator and he was wheeled into an apartment before the man left to get the items then. Gavin was quick to look around at his surroundings and wound up taken in by all of the human amenities about. He had never seen half of this stuff and his curiosity peaked when he noticed a strange black box on the wall. He could see himself in it and was now doing different movements to watch himself.

The human returned just as he had climbed to the ceiling of the cage and hung upside down to look at his reflection. 

"What are you doing?" Came the soft voice and Gavin quickly let go, only to fall to the floor of it and flail about in alarm. "Oh-wait, wait, wait, you're going to hurt yourself! Calm down!" The man walked closer and held his hand up but Gavin was pushing away from it as far as he can. He watched the man's expression change and slowly a frown formed over his lips. "...can you understand me?" 

Gavin didn't and he couldn't form an answer regardless. He just stared at the human who just nodded after a moment and went to set the items nearby a large balcony window. "That's okay, I don't mind talking to you anyways. You're supposed to be a lyrebird so you'll probably pick something up over time. " He went back, put his hands gently on the bars of the cage and soon Gavin was sitting in the basking sunlight of the window. 

The bird's heart lept for joy. He hadn't felt so much sunshine in so long. He was turning his body to face the window, gaze out at the world just outside and over the fields nearby. He spread his wings the most he could in the cage and the man smiled at him from a short distance away. 

"I'll see about getting you a bigger cage when I can afford it. You were expensive as it is but I can't imagine living in such a tiny space when you have such beautiful wings." He went to grab food and water dishes, filling them carefully and pulling at the cage openings to slide them in. "My name is Ryan." He said, then shrugged when Gavin tilted his head back at him. "...I'm not sure what to call you just yet."

He took a breath, held it, looked Gavin up and down before he muttered, "...and the book I read said to give you time to adjust to your new home so...I'll be over there okay?" He pointed towards a computer desk across the room and made his way over, going to sit down and open the laptop. 

Gavin studied him for a moment longer before his attention snapped to the water dish in front of him. He reached for it, hands cupping around it tightly and he tilted it back to sip from it. He only took small amounts, remembering the farm having barely given them water and they had to ration it. When he set it back down and wiped at his mouth however, Ryan was moving to get up and grab a watering can from the nearby kitchen. He was moving closer but still keeping a good distance. Instantly he refilled the bowl and Gavin was staring at it bewildered. 

He went for another sip curiously but this time Ryan didn't move, just sat back at his desk and let the bird be. The hybrid climbed to the other side of the cage, looking over his food dish and reached in to draw some of the seed mixture into his hand. He took the whole handful, chewed momentarily and made somewhat of a face. It wasn't the food he used to love but it was food regardless and far better quality than the farm. They only gave him grains there. This had dried fruit or something inside of it. 

Ryan chuckled for a moment and the bird looked back to the human curiously. The man just smiled at him before speaking, "I'm sorry, that stuff looks nasty, it must taste that way too...I'll see about getting you something nicer. The Wikipedia article I'm reading says your species likes bugs and lizards right?" He waited, still no answer and he let loose a little sigh. "...right, you need to relax. How about some music?" 

Soon the room was filled with sound and Gavin was perking up as he listened. It reminded him of singing, voices harmonizing to a bright happy tune and he found himself dancing somewhat on the single perch in his cage. He liked music, he had missed it. He had missed the sound of his parents singing in the middle of the day and the night birds chorusing when he was tucked away for bed. He missed his own voice. 

It was hours of just music and daylight slowly turning into nighttime before Gavin noticed the human yawning and starting to prepare for bed. Lights turned off and soon only the fluttering moonlight was there to keep the hybrid company. He stared out into the night through the window, glanced around before he was certain he was alone. He opened his mouth, tried to make a noise, the music having made him want to sing so badly. 

Nothing came out. 

He sighed, looked down at the bottom of his cage and made his way to curl up for sleep. 

 

He awoke the next morning to the human refilling his water and food again. He noted the man called Ryan was very diligent in his upkeep. Nothing stayed stale and waiting for long. He was grateful for it, even if it did startle him every time that metal moved. He sat up slowly and look to the human who smiled down at him. 

"...maybe I should get you a blanket for the floor too...that might be terrible to wash however when you need to use the bathroom." Ryan hesitated, then frowned and went to find some newspaper. He opened the cage door and knelt down, causing Gavin to quickly leap for his perch and bang his head against the roof of the cage. The human cried out, apologizing but Gavin just stared at him fearfully. "Sorry! Sorry! Calm down it's okay. Just putting this here, I won't hurt you...I'm sorry." He was quick to spread the newspaper out and slowly he backed away, hand going to shut the door again. 

He hesitated when it was an inch from closing the latch and he glanced towards the open window. He bit his lower lip and then, walked away without properly closing the cage door and moved to close the window instead. Gavin stared after him, tracking his every movement until Ryan returned and pulled the cage door open again. He stood there for a moment then backed up towards his computer chair. 

"Let's try this for a bit, okay? ...just...for a bit though. It must be cramped and scary inside there and this way, you can get used to my place faster." He sat down and waited, didn't open his laptop and just stared as Gavin looked at him stunned. 

The hybrid took a moment to watch the human, studying his movements to make sure the man wasn't preparing to attack him and then he reached for the bars of the cage. He lowered himself from the perch and nearly jumped again when he heard the crunch of the paper moving. Slowly he reached the opening and crouched down onto all fours submissively before the human watching him. He reached a hand out and touched the carpeted floor before looking to Ryan once more to confirm this was okay. 

Ryan didn't move, just watched him with a soft smile. 

Gavin lowered the front of his body out of the cage and soon his legs followed. He was completely out of the cage and he froze. He hadn't felt soft material on his hands and knees in so long. He squished the carpet underneath him, dared to smile and then he was moving slowly about the room to inspect the things he had seen before. 

He stayed far enough from Ryan to be comfortable and sniffed curiously at the shelving and books that were nearby. He saw things that caught his attention on higher shelves but he didn't dare stand up to inspect them. He wanted to show the human he wasn't a threat and he moved on. He got to the floor just before the black box and sat back to get his best view of it. Ryan was chuckling again and his attention snapped back to the human who reached for a black device nearby. 

Gavin was backing up against the wall, prepared to have the thing thrown at him but instead the man pressed a button and suddenly there was noise behind him. Gavin was launching forward, wings puffing up in alarm and he turned back to the black box to see it had lit up and had moving humans on it. He stared, settling after a moment and sat back to view it again with a tilt of his head. 

"That's a tv," Ryan said, humming as he watched the bird follow the movements of the people on it curiously. "It let's me see the world since I can't go everywhere." He watched Gavin slowly grow bored of it and continue on and the hybrid was now inspecting the couch in front of the tv. With the hybrid's back turned to him, he started to take note of the condition the bird was in. 

The wings on his back looked terrible, as though they had never been groomed before and his single article of clothing-a shirt-was torn and messy. The human frowned as he watched the hybrid awkwardly move. His pet needed a bath for certain. He wondered how exactly to go about that, if he could just fill up a large tub full of water and let the hybrid be or if he would have to do it himself. 

He reached for his laptop, moving to start up Skype and noticed new messages. He smiled to himself, noting the friends he wanted to talk to were online and he instantly started a conference call with them. One answered immediately but there was no one in the video, just an empty bed and white wall but after a bit of hesitation the second was there, smiling at him in greeting. 

"Hey Ryan...and Geoff?" Jack asked, squinting at the screen where Geoff should have been. 

"Yeah, I don't know where he ran off too." Ryan was laughing before smiling back and gestured towards the screen. "So...how's the chinchilla, Jack?" 

A chuckle and Jack was nodding back, "Oh he's doing great. He's such a sweet little hybrid. Full of energy though. I know chinchillas are supposed to have room to play so I let him out for a bit and he nearly broke two of my vases already. It took a lot of time before I could get him back into his cage for the night." 

"Oh, I don't feel so bad then for letting out my hybrid too." 

"Oh, how is he?" 

"Quiet...very quiet. I expected different being a lyrebird and all but it works with my place, I guess. I probably would get kicked out if he was as noisy as google says he should be. Though he's...very messy." Ryan cringed, casting a glance over at the hybrid who was now hidden under a nearby table, as though he was trying to inspect the dust near there. "Not that he's making a mess but he's...dirty and I want to help him get cleaned up but I'm not sure, have you done anything with your chinchilla?" 

"Oh they do dust baths. I put a huge amount of dust on a tarp on the floor and he cleaned himself. Though I did have to wash his shirt. I feel really bad that they just have shirts to wear. I might buy him something new." Jack chuckled then a noise from behind him made him turn. A sound like someone was saying "hup" in rabid succession. "Do you hear that?" 

"Yeah is that him?" 

"Yes, he makes that noise when he gets excited. I brought out my vacuum to get the remaining dust and he just started doing that until I turned it on and he was hiding immediately." Jack smiled, whistled a bit and suddenly the chinchilla hybrid came bounding into view, bouncing around the bearded human and saying his excited noises over and over again. "He's very friendly, hardly seems to care that he doesn't know me." 

"Heh, I wish my bird felt the same. He's terrified of me." 

"Give it time, Ryan." 

"I know, I know-" Ryan was cut off then as Geoff came back into view and he noticed something unusual. The man was covered in band-aids and scratch marks. "...whoa, Geoff man, did your hybrid try to kill you in your sleep or what?" 

"No, I gave him a bath." Both Jack and Ryan cringed at the idea, knowing that the hybrid was a feline and probably didn't take to that kindly. "Little shit screamed and hissed at me like I was murdering him the entire time and he has sharp as fuck claws." The screen was moving and Geoff was carrying his laptop into the other room, pointing the camera at the naked hybrid who looked like a drowned rat at the bottom of his cage. The cat was hissing and yowling, glaring at Geoff the entire time. Ryan could see the chinchilla perk up at the sound and inspect the computer closer. He felt a presence on his left side and glanced over at his own hybrid who was inching closer to listen as well. 

"Shut up Michael, I didn't hurt you!" 

"Michael?" Ryan questioned with a snort and Geoff turned the camera back on himself. 

"Yeah that's the little brat's name." 

"That's what you named him?" 

"No, he told me his name." 

Jack and Ryan both sat up straighter at that. "He told you?!" They asked in unison and the chinchilla and lyrebird were bolting from the sudden outbursts. 

"Yeah, I kept calling him fluffy, as a joke really-who the hell names their hybrid "fluffy" and it pissed him off so he told me his name was Michael. Then he called me a fuckface and I decided to give him a bath. Didn't know hybrids could even cuss like that."

"Maybe he picked it up at the store?" 

"Maybe, doesn't make it any more tolerable." 

"...hngh." Ryan hummed after a moment. "If both of you braved bathing your's, I guess it's my turn to give it a shot." He looked at the bird now closer to his cage as if he had been yelled at. "...he could certainly use it."

"Good luck man, wear protection." 

"Well he doesn't have talons right? He should be fine." 

Ryan chuckled, bidding them well and moved to shut down his laptop and stand. He watched the lyrebird shrink down further against the floor in submission and he frowned. "Easy," He said, walking closer, hand reaching out. The hybrid began to shiver slightly and he backed off. Thinking better of it, he went to go retrieve a towel from the bathroom first and returned to the smaller man. He waited, noticing how the bird watched him carefully and slowly he draped the towel over the bird's head. 

An instant almost easy calm came over the hybrid and Ryan smiled at his little plan. He had read that a lot of birds confuse muffled lighting with nighttime and he was reaching carefully to scoop up the gangly bird into his arms. 

Gavin didn't struggle in the hold, though his heart and breathing quickened at the sudden contact. The towel he thought meant that he was supposed to behave, that he wasn't allowed to see what was going on. They had done this to him occasionally at the farm. Mostly when they moved him from one spot to another. 

He was carried into another room, he felt the air change and heard the sound of something shutting him in. He felt himself being lowered onto the floor and then a rush of water. Soon enough, the towel was being pulled off of his head and he blinked at the sudden change in light. He was insanely close to the human and he backed up with wings folding around him protectively. 

Ryan didn't order him around or grab at him, let him move away and rest back against the door that was locked. He filled up the tub just enough before he was looking to the hybrid curiously and held out his hands to show him he was there for peace. He kept whispering the word "easy" and inched closer until he was right beside the bird again. 

Gavin pressed against the door and shivered, moving to duck his body down low again but the hands went for him anyways. He felt his clothing moved and pulled up, buttons unlatching from his sides and then slipped past his wings. He felt a twinge of cold air when the only barrier was gone and he stared at as it was tossed aside. Ryan was whispering to him still and then hands were pulling him up gently and setting him in the tub. 

Gavin's wings flared, smacking the human upside the face as he touched the warm water. He nearly scrambled out of it, started by the sudden wetness and turned to face his only exit...of which the human was blocking. He looked up pitifully at Ryan, fearing that he might drown in such a silly amount in the bathtub. 

Ryan just smiled at him, kept a gentle hold on his waist and reached down to start scooping the water up and gently pouring it against the hybrid's body. The human did his best to move slow, careful, trying to make the hybrid understand what he was intending to do. He didn't use too much water just yet either. The bird just seemed to be confused until the moment he dribbled some water across the wings on his back. 

He watched the lyrebird perk up a bit and his wings shake momentarily in a way that required Ryan to remove his grip. He drew back out of the tub and watch the bird shake his wings again before his own hands were moving to scoop up the water and splash them against the feathers. More shaking and Ryan got the idea quickly, now using a small cup to aid in the process. 

The wings seemed to be much more of a concern to the hybrid and once they were cared for enough (Ryan didn't know for sure but the hybrid stopped adding water himself and just let his feathers puff up) they sat somewhat in awkward silence. Ryan was looking him up and down to see how clean the bird had managed to get himself and noticed with a frown that there was now more dirt and grime on his human like body than before. He sighed, reaching nearby for a washcloth and lathering it in soap before he went to grab the hybrid again. This time he went for the small male's neck, holding it gently to keep him from squirming too much as he went to wash his back and around his wings. 

Gavin froze instantly at the hold and stared wide eyed at the moving arm. He felt the cloth drape over him and his flight instincts kicked in hard as he wanted to scramble away. He didn't dare move however, afraid the hold on his neck would snap him into pieces. He felt the cloth move over his chest, the young male shuddering as it ran across sensitive skin. He hadn't bathed properly in so long and his shirt was normally protecting him there. He drifted his gaze downward as the human moved south as well. His legs were rubbed down, the movement feeling almost like a massage as the dirt was washed away. 

He felt the cloth move between his legs and he opened his mouth to silently protest. That wasn't an area he was used to sharing, he was un-mated and had never felt anyone there before. He tilted his head back against the hand on his neck however when he discovered the touch was gentle and his lips parted in a soft breath as he was cleaned. It didn't linger long and he was gently nudged forward before his butt was getting the same treatment. He wanted to make noise with that as well. His entrance was sensitive, also unused to being touched and the human was just as gentle as he was before. He finished quickly and let go of Gavin's neck to toss the cloth away. 

Then there was water draining and rinsing over him. He let the human spray him down gently without resisting. The warm of the bath and the touch had gotten him calmer, sleepier and he didn't even squirm when he was picked up out of the tub and into a warm dry towel either. He was gently patted down and moved out of the room, back to his cage and into a now awaiting blanket forming a small nest in the corner. Ryan layed him on his stomach and the bird barely gave him a glance before he was snuggling in close to the warmth. 

"I'll fix up one of my shirts for you until I can get you a new one, okay?" The human said, going to close the cage door and actually latch it this time before he was moving away. 

Gavin didn't know what that meant and he didn't have the energy to try and decipher it. He closed his eyes and rested his head down on the bundle of blanket before he was drifting away into slumber. 

 

"Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean...I'm sure Michael is well behaved..." Ryan glanced at Geoff nervously and looked somewhat taken aback as the older man rolled his eyes. "Or not...but...my hybrid is a bird..." He looked to the cage by the window, the lyrebird still sound asleep in his blanket but Geoff just pushed his way into the room with the cat hybrid tucked away in a rolling carrier. 

"They're technically the same species dude, I highly doubt Michael is going to fucking eat your bird. Besides, I can't just leave the damn cat over at my place, he'll wreck it." 

"Lock him up?" 

"He's smart enough to get out." Geoff sighed, then went to unzip the carrier, to which his feline hybrid was immediately bouncing out and onto the carpet floor. He watched as he crouched there, Michael sniffing the air a few times before cautiously making his way through the house. 

Ryan noted that Michael wore shorts and a shirt now. Geoff had to have gotten annoyed with the lack of clothing but the hybrid didn't seem to mind either way. The cat was leaping up onto the back of Ryan's sofa, stretching out along the length of it as his tail flicked and soon bright yellow eyes glared in his direction. Ryan tried to smile back at the cat but all he got was a low rumbling growl. 

"Hi to you too Michael." He responded then sighed and gestured to his xbox in front of the sofa. "Well there's the system, can we keep the volume down though? My bird is still asleep, I don't want to wake him up." 

"Yeah sure, daddy-we won't wake the baby." Geoff snickered and he was moving to plop himself on the couch in front of Michael before he grabbed the nearest controller and started up the game system. "We just need to make sure that minecraft video is done before I go out of town next week okay? So we need to get this built ASAP." 

"Right, right." Ryan moved carefully, trying not to startle the cat as he sat down next to Geoff and took up his own controller. He eyed the hybrid briefly but Michael just continued to glare at him. "...would you like something to drink?" He asked, mostly asking Geoff but eyeing the cat as well. "Whiskey and water?" 

"Milk." Michael suddenly said and Ryan nearly jumped out of his skin. Geoff snorted at the man's reaction before he was reaching to scratch behind the hybrid's flicking ears. 

"No milk, Michael. We already found out you're lactose intolerant okay? You can have water, buddy." 

"How'd you find that out?"

Geoff huffed and now the hybrid was occupying his lap as he loaded up the minecraft world. "He demanded milk and wound up sick all over my floor. Took an hour to clean up. Nasty shit." He reached with one hand to start scratching at the cat's tail base and to both human's amusement, Michael started purring loudly. "So yeah, water's better for him. He does like really cold water though, so if you've got ice cubes to go with it..." 

Ryan was moving to get up again, retrieving the drinks and setting the bowl on the nearby floor. The cat ignored it for the most part, lounging about on Geoff's lap until halfway through their build he suddenly noticed the bird in cage. His ears perked up, his fur on his tail was standing up and he slid out of Geoff's lap to make a beeline right for the corner. 

"Geoff..." Ryan said warily but the man just shook his head to silence him. 

Michael went up to the cage bars, hissing at them lightly when the cold metal touched his face and he was climbing back towards the cramped side where the bird lay. He tried to slip his hand in through the cage but it was too narrow and he hissed again. This one started to stir the other hybrid and Gavin yawned as he lifted his head to blink out the sleepy daze. Once his eyes focused long enough to catch sight of the cat in front of him however, all of his feathers were puffing up again and he was trying to make himself look bigger immediately. Michael was unimpressed for the most part, staring at Gavin as though he was crazy and then he was pressing closer to the cage. 

He purred out a little hello, a reminder that they had met before though only briefly since cats weren't allowed to play with birds on the farm and he spoke, trying to coax an answer out of the bird too. "Michael." He said, huffing and pointing at himself. He waited, staring at Gavin but the bird didn't answer, only frowned. "Talk." He demanded then, scowling. "Michael." He pointed at himself again, then jabbed a finger through the bars at the bird and said, "you?!" 

Gavin didn't understand why Michael was talking. Didn't understand his english too well either. He shook his head slowly, trying to indicate he wouldn't...or rather he couldn't talk and that just seemed to frustrate the cat more. 

"Stupid bird!" He hissed. "Talk! Birds talk! Talk!" 

"Michael, play nice." Geoff said in a warning tone and the cat's ears laid back as his tail flicked. "If you want him to be your friend you have to be nicer, okay?" 

"Birds talk!" Michael snapped at Geoff and then lowered himself back onto all fours as he sat there waiting. Gavin just shrunk back into the opposite corner of his cage instead, curling his wings forward to create a barrier between the two. 

"I don't think he can talk, Michael." Ryan said now, sighing. "He's a bird that's supposed to talk, yes...but he hasn't said a single sound since he got here...he may be mute." He waited, catching Geoff's pitying look. "...but that's okay, birds don't need to talk." 

Michael glared somewhat at the bird before he was moving away, crawling over to Ryan's side to stare up at the man. The human blinked back at him curiously and then the cat was laying his ears back again. "...paper." He demanded, tail flicking and Ryan just kind of stared at him in shock before he reached to pull out a notebook from the table. "write." He demanded next and Ryan was hesitating before offering a pen too. 

Michael took the items but didn't really move until he sniffed them and then brought them over to Geoff with his mouth rather than his hands. Geoff smiled and reached to scratch at his ears, turning to an empty page and waited for the cats command. 

"Letters." He said and Geoff moved to start spelling out the alphabet all the while singing under his breath. Now Ryan was intrigued and so was the bird hybrid, both leaning up to watch what was going on. When Geoff finished, the cat was pulling off the notebook with his mouth again and bringing it over to the bird before returning for the pen. He sat and waited, before pointing at the letters. "Name!" He demanded out of the lyrebird and then pointed at the A letter. 

Gavin stared at the letters, recognizing them somewhat. He knew how to spell his name for certain. He had seen it countless times before when his mother wrote it down. She spoke English well and wrote it even better. She could talk to anyone she wanted and she wanted to teach him to write too. He leaned forward and shook his head slightly before Michael moved onto the next letter. 

Both humans watched in interested silence as the hybrids made it to the G before the bird was nodding and now Ryan was nearly climbing over Geoff to get a better view. Five more letters later and the lyrebird had moved away, indicating his name was spelled. Michael looked back at the humans, his tail flicking as Ryan said the letters aloud. 

"G...a....v...i...n! His name is Gav-in? Gavin!" The bird perked up and Ryan was smiling more. "Ah, this is great, I was hoping he had a name! Now I have something to call him. Thank you Michael!" 

"Gavin mine." Said the cat simply and now Geoff was laughing at Ryan's off put expression.

"Can't I have him too?" 

"No!" 

"Well he lives here...are you intending to take him home with you?" 

"Gavin mine." Came the response again and now the cat was crouching back before leaping up to the top of the cage to rest. He curled his body somewhat, a very inhuman habit and lounged his arms halfway off the roof. He let out a low hiss and Ryan simply sunk back into his proper seat. 

"Well, I think your cat likes my bird." 

"What gave you that idea?"

 

"Bye Michael! You can come play with Gavin again next time okay?" Ryan said as he patted the carrier and Geoff was snorting before he could stop it. "You too Geoff, Gavin may be more social by then with any luck." 

"Yeah yeah, see you at work tomorrow dickhead." Geoff pulled away and the door was closed behind him as the man made his way back towards the elevator. 

"...shit...work." Ryan said, leaning on the doorway now as he looked back over at the bird back on his perch. "I'm going to have to leave you all alone for about eight hours tomorrow...I hope you're going to be okay." He frowned, biting his lip now and moved closer to the cage. This time, Gavin didn't move back and watched as the man went to refill his water. "...maybe Geoff should drop off Michael here before we leave, that way you have someone to keep you company."

He returned with the water, pausing as he stared at the long wings now exposed in the waning sunlight by the window. Sure they were much cleaner but they still looked severely disheveled compared to how they should've looked. He frowned at the sight and went back towards his laptop for a moment. One google search later and he was reading up on preening as he cast wary glances at the hybrid. Gavin was drinking again, taking deeper gulps than he had before and he smiled a bit at that. 

"Alright Gavin...let's give something a try okay?" He moved to get up, going to spread a sheet across the floor before he was going to open the cage again. Now he noticed slight fear in the bird's eyes but he didn't grab for him. Instead he took a step back and motioned with his hands for the hybrid to follow. "C'mon boy...c'mere. We're going to make you feel good hopefully, okay?" He waited and slowly the bird crept out across the floor, keeping that submissive posture. 

Once he was fully out of the cage, Ryan finally moved to pick him up slightly. He did his best to ignore the fluttering wings and heaved the small framed bird onto the sheet carefully. He pressed his hand on the small of the hybrid's back to keep him there and reached for a pair of gloves he had placed nearby. Latex protecting him, he moved to carefully straddle the bird's exposed rear. He paused momentarily to take note that the hybrid didn't have tail feathers despite it's species being known for them. He wondered how he didn't notice that before. 

Gavin was squirming, opening his mouth in silent chirps of confusion and the wings splayed out across the sheet in his effort to feel less trapped. Ryan smiled though, going to start rubbing between the bases of the wings and he watched as the hybrid's expression turned blissful. 

"There you go Gavin. That's it...just relax..." He muttered softly, before he was reaching for the left wing to begin the preening process. He ran his fingers through gently, pushing out dead clinging feathers that fell onto the sheet easily. He was careful to adjust any that seemed to painfully overlap and was working his way inward as he moved. The closer he got to the base of it all however, he noticed the bird was making subtle little movements out of the corner of his eye. 

The other wing was trembling lightly and for a moment he thought he was hurting the hybrid. One look at Gavin's face clearly said otherwise. The hybrid looked like he was in heaven, lips parted open, hands gripping at the sheet beneath him and head tilting back in what appeared to be a groan each time Ryan brushed through the base again. The human chuckled, moving onto the next wing to give the bird somewhat of a break as he worked from the outside in again. 

When he got to the base of this one and finished, he moved careful and searched across the bird's body for what he was looking for. Finally spotting the two small glands by each wing he smiled and reached right for them. He pressed in gently, feeling the hybrid jerk violently beneath him and watched the oil secrete over his gloved fingers. He moved to start helping it through the feathers, rubbing the glands more through each pass through until the wings looked thoroughly coated. He pulled his hands back, using one glove to remove the other to avoid getting any of the oil on him and finally moved to stand. 

Gavin didn't moved once freed, laying there with wings flat against the floor like he didn't have the strength to move and for a moment Ryan thought he had killed him. When he reached to help the hybrid up however, he noticed an obvious sticky white fluid across the bird's stomach and the sheet below him. He frowned for a moment, till his brain registered what exactly that substance was and why it was there. 

"...oh." He muttered in shock, unsure of why this thought hadn't crossed his mind. Hybrids were part human after all. They mostly had human biology. It was only natural that some could get aroused and orgasm in the same manner as humans did. He apologized softly to the hybrid but Gavin looked utterly content with what had happened and he moved to wipe down the bird before returning him to his cage. "At least you look healthier and happier, right?" He chuckled, free hand gently petting through the bird's hair-noting that he forgot to wash that in the earlier bath and he sighed. "...tomorrow after work, we'll fix that too." 

 

"Is Michael house trained?" 

"Well he certainly knows how to use a kitty box, yeah." Geoff huffed, tugging in the carrier once more and setting down the mentioned box in the bathroom before returning. "Also dude, if you're freaked out by them being naked-sorry. He threw up on himself again this morning. Got into my milk. I swear he's a glutton for punishment." 

"That's okay," Ryan sighed, glancing at the sleeping bird once more. "I haven't had the time to fix a shirt for Gavin either. Is Jack dropping the chinchilla off?" 

Geoff was unpacking Michael, helping the hybrid out of the carrier and the cat was boredly looking over at the bird. "He said he was running late but he'd try to. He has the key for your place." He petted through the curly red hair and Michael purred back at him before the cat was launching back up onto the roof of the cage. "Michael behave while daddy is gone, okay?" 

"Daddy?" Ryan chuckled, but Geoff shot him a look and the two made to leave. 

Michael's ears twitched as he heard the door lock and he glanced down at the bird beneath him to see if he had been started awake yet. Nothing and he sighed before resting his head. He didn't like being woken up so early in the day, so he was more than willing to take a nap until his new playmate was awake as well. 

He only stirred when he heard the click of the door opening and the bearded man was entering. Jack looked around curiously until his eyes fell upon Michael and he smiled softly. He entered, going to pull in his own carrier now and whispered, "Hi there Michael...it's nice to finally meet you, I'm Jack." 

The cat huffed at him, watching him warily until his nose twitched at a familiar scent. Jack crouched down by his carrier and unzipped it, the tiny male hybrid popping up immediately and making Michael jolt in surprise. The large round ears and silver tail stood up straight and the chinchilla was bounding out of the bag to look around at the room. He scaled the couch quickly, sitting up to stare at the other hybrids curiously. 

"Jeremy, you play nice okay?" Jack chuckled, reaching to gently pet through the short hair of the chinchilla. "I'll be back to pick you up after work." He pulled away, pausing to set down a dish of water and a box before he was going to leave and locking the door behind him. 

Michael smirked to himself as he looked over the rodent in front of him. Tail flicking as he let out a low growl. His ears perked forward and the moment he was sure the human was gone, he launched across the distance to tackle Jeremy back against the floor. The squeak that erupted from the smaller hybrid was violently loud and it startled the bird out of his slumber. Michael was perching himself on top of his target, pushing his hand against his face as he purred happily. 

Jeremy let out little noises as he stared up at the stronger predator, fur puffing up terribly in fear. 

"Michael is in charge." Michael huffed, leaning down to give a quick bite to the smaller male's neck and held it for a moment before he was letting go. He heard a shuffling sound and glanced over his shoulder at the bird who was now fluttering his wings as he got up out of his bedded corner. The cat smiled at him briefly, then slid off of Jeremy slowly. "Jeremy, Gavin...Gavin, Jeremy." He moved to get up, perching up towards towards the lock on the bird cage. He unlatched it, pulling it open and sat back. 

Gavin hesitated before he was moving to slip out of the door, keeping his body low just like with the humans. Michael didn't hesitate to quickly nip at his neck too and Gavin was nearly tearing up at the sharp pain. The cat let him go as well and the three hybrids looked between each other. 

"Hup?" Jeremy suddenly said before bouncing up and down in a quick happy way. He took off running, racing through the room and using one of the nearby walls to do a back flip. He raced back to touch the cat's arm before he was running again. Michael stared at him momentarily before he crouched down and his fur arched up. He took off after the rodent, coming up short each time he pounced down at the chinchilla. Gavin stared at them, his wings wrapping close around his body as he peeked through the feathers.

The two were roughhousing for a while, Michael finally able to catch Jeremy but the chinchilla wasn't going down without a fight. He only submitted when the cat seemed to get annoyed by the antics and bit down hard on the rodent's ear. Squealing and flailing until he finally gave and the cat just merely sat on top of him with a proud huff. He looked down at the chinchilla, tail swishing before he spoke again. 

"Jeremy talk?" 

Jeremy stared back at him, frowning before he made a face of confusion. 

"Not supposed to." He said and Gavin was fluffing up in surprise at the sudden voice. "Pets supposed to be quiet or make pet noises." Jeremy sighed, resting back against the floor with his tail curling around him. "...Jack said can talk but I feel bad doing it. Jack is nice." 

"Geoff is nice too. Michael like Geoff. He makes Michael feel happy." 

They both slowly looked to Gavin who flinched back at the stare. "Gavin no talk." Michael explained and Jeremy frowned somewhat at that. 

"Ryan don't like it?" 

"No, Ryan want Gavin to talk...but said Gavin is mute." 

"Oh." Jeremy nodded before he was pushing the cat off and moved forward. He got close enough to the bird before he was reaching out for a quick little hug around the tiny waist. "....sorry." 

Michael stared at them before he was moving closer too, a wing coming up around him in a protective gesture as he snuggled on the other side of the bird. "...Michael fix Gavin one day. Jeremy is mine too." 

The three held each other with content little sighs, nuzzling and grooming each other occasionally. Gavin shivered in the cool air and the few times they licked at his skin. Jeremy was quick to pull his blanket out and draw it around them as they laid there. Hands moved across the bird's chest, gently rubbing him down and he fluttered his eyes closed. He pushed his wings out, needing to stretch after a bit of attention and they let him pull away to flap them. 

Feathers went flying outward and he didn't notice when he struck a nearby planter. It crashed to the floor sharply, causing the cat to screech and Jeremy to dive away under the nearby table. The shocked noises had Gavin in an instant panic. He pushed off with his wings, getting enough force to launch him off the floor and he clambered back over the couch to get away from the startled hybrids. He fell back against the table in front of it and a horrible pain ran through his body. 

He wanted to scream, cry out for someone to help him but no noise came through. He toppled to the floor, hand going to his shoulder. He drew his hand back just to stare in horror as there was now blood dripping from the wound. He opened his mouth to speak turning to find the other hybrids now looking to him with equally terrified expressions. Michael was racing forward, hissing as he stepped over glass and was quick to pull Gavin back away from the remains of the table. 

Jeremy sputtered as he crawled back out into the open, looking over the injury before he gave almost a whimper at the cat. "...what do we do?!" 

"...need humans." Michael admitted, tail curling around the bird as he looked around. "...ah....need Geoff....Geoff not here!"

Gavin stared at the blood on his hand, wings moving to hide himself again though Michael didn't move to allow it. He felt tears forming in his eyes from the pain and fear, choking out little sobs as they fell. He tilted his head back, closed his eyes tight and cried. He cried for his mother, for his village so long lost, cried for his freedom and cried for the pain. He could have been running, flying out in the fields as he sang. 

Ryan was nice to him...but Ryan wasn't home. Nothing could compare to his home. Nothing could compare to how his mother used to hold him when he got hurt and sing to him when he was scared. He drew his arms and wings tightly around him as Michael pulled away and he thought only of her. Nestled back in his memories as he tried to wish the pain away. 

He didn't hear the door open or Ryan's startled cry. Barely registered as there was hands pulling him up from the floor and he let his wings fall limp against the arms. There was one hand touching his face, brushing back his hair and looking at his eyes. The blanket was up around his shivering body and he felt a soft rush of air as he was being carried quickly out of the room. 

"I'm going to rush Gavin to the vet! Are Michael and Jeremy okay?!" Ryan shouted over his shoulder at his two co-workers. 

"Michael's hands are cut up but he seems fine!" 

"Jeremy is okay! Go on! Call us and tell us if he's alright! We'll clean up here!" 

"Right!" 

Gavin gave a hazy little gurgle as he was set in the backseat of a car. Tears were still flowing down his cheeks and he hissed in air when the seat put pressure on his injury. A hand touched his chest, steadying him as the car started up. They were moving, the human constantly whispering that he was going to be okay. Time passed and soon the bird was back in the man's arms being carried inside of a new building. Scents of all kinds blasted his nostrils and he curled himself in further to the chest of the human to block out the world. 

He felt his head swimming, the dizzy feeling overtaking him before he ultimately fainted. 

 

"How's he doing?" 

Ryan sighed as the question came again. He stared at the webcam, frowning at Geoff and Jack who frowned right back at him. He looked over his laptop screen and peered at the bird who was curled up on the floor of his cage with his bandaged shoulder just outside of his blankets. Ryan had decided the moment they came home, their play dates were done for a while. He didn't want the bird stressed or possibly hurt again. He had to admit, he was probably being overprotective. 

When he saw how broken the lyrebird looked when he arrived home however...he was terrified. He thought for certain that his pet had been dying. It sure looked like it. He knew it was probably an accident and none of the hybrids involved faults. He couldn't shake the fear in the back of his mind however. 

"...he's been sleeping most of the time. I think the medication they have him on keeps knocking him out." He leaned on his hand. "...he's been eating when he's awake though." 

"Michael wants to see him." 

"So does Jeremy." 

"...yeah, we'll see..." Ryan sighed, leaning back in his seat. "I have to go now, I'll talk to you later." He moved to slam the laptop closed, groaning as he placed his face in his hands. He heard shuffling and glanced upward at the bird who had been woken up by the noise. "...oh, I'm sorry Gavin...go back to sleep." He tilted his head back down, rubbing at his eyes. 

More shuffling and he moved to get up to open the cage door to let the bird have room to stretch. He walked to the couch, flopping back against the cushions. He moved to turn on the tv, instinctively going to put his feet up on the table but it fell on nothing. Ryan grunted at the sudden drop before he just continued flipping through the channels. He stopped on a nature show and watched as a few birds of paradise were dancing about to show off to their potential mates.

He felt the couch dip and he glanced over at the lyrebird now crawling beside him. He reached out gently to ruffle through the now clean hair and Gavin was reaching to hold onto him softly. Ryan smiled at him, hand going to gently touch at the bird's chin to tilt his head up. 

"You're such a pretty bird, Gavin." He cooed softly. The hybrid smiled, wings fluttering and he pressed in tighter to the human's chest. His hand slowly moved to the bandaged shoulder and he brushed his fingers over the wound. He watched the bird flinch and he apologized. A wing pushed into his hand and he chuckled. "No Gavin...I'm not preening you like this...not after last time. We'll wait until you get a bit too messy and you're not in my lap." He watched the bird's expression fall and he pouted back at him. "...oh don't be upset, I'll still pet you." 

Ryan glanced around before he was reaching for a nearby comb and started running it through Gavin's hair. The bird tilted his head back to enjoy the brush through, feathers puffing up in joy. 

"Yes, such a pretty bird...I'm really glad I bought you." Ryan smiled, continuing to talk as he worked. "I always wanted a hybrid...I know you guys aren't exactly meant to be pets..." He trailed off slightly, frowning. "but...you're just something so exotic...so rare and beautiful. You're creatures that don't show up in America...if I didn't buy you, you might've ended up somewhere awful. Maybe a breeder." Ryan made a face at that. 

He hesitated then, biting his lower lip. "...shit, do you want a family? Is that something hybrids want?" He groaned, tilting his head back and slammed the remote down against the nearby cushion. "...I don't even want to think about that. I should really do more research on hybrids." He cast a glance over at his laptop and then urged his bird upward. He didn't expect to have Gavin's wings suddenly expand and certainly didn't imagine he'd have the lyrebird now perched awkwardly on his shoulders. 

Gavin was light, easy to carry as always but the expanse of his wings made walking somewhat hard as the man went to retrieve his computer and then return to the couch. The bird quickly retreated to the back of the furniture, curiously staring over his shoulders to watch his screen. Ryan was quick to google "hybrid breeding" and almost immediately regretted it as he realized he had safe search off. He quickly rephrased his search and soon more mature mannered sites were popping up. 

A loud ping made him jump and he heard a thump as Gavin hit the floor behind him. He cringed, leaning over to peek at the lyre who was quickly getting up. "You okay, Gavin? Sorry buddy, just Jack messaging me." He pulled up Skype, going to read the message and smiled at the concern his friend had for his well-being since he shut the laptop earlier. 

_Hey, are you okay? You left pretty quickly._

_Yeah. Mostly just stressed with Gavin being hurt. I guess because they're so human it's making me feel more like a dad than a pet owner._

_Oh yes, I know this very well. Jeremy does something he knows better than to do and I have the urge to put him in time out rather than train him._

"Gavin, want me to say hi to Jeremy?" Ryan said automatically before blushing when he realized what he was doing. The bird was crawling back onto the couch peering at the screen as though he was confused over where the chinchilla was located. The human tapped out the hello regardless, feeling stupid but he would chalk it down to that fatherly comment he made earlier. 

Jack humored him however and Ryan was chuckling as there was a jumble of random keys that he could only assume was the other man letting the chinchilla type out his own response. 

"Jeremy says p-t-5-v-d-d-comma-l to you Gavin." 

Ryan froze when he heard a noise. A soft almost...hardly there noise. At first he thought it was the zipping sound of the bird's leg sliding across the couch but it was too close to his own ear. He tilted his head at Gavin curiously but the bird was just staring at the screen still, not moving. He leaned closer, prompting the lyre to lean back slightly. "...did you say something?" 

Gavin blinked at him without response. 

"...guess I must be hearing things." 

_Hey Jack. Have you thought about breeding Jeremy?_

It was a while before Ryan got a response on that one. He wound up surfing google some more and pulled up a youtube video of other bird hybrids in an aviary. Gavin was sitting closer now, leaning against the human with wings folded close to his body. He didn't take his eyes off the video as parrots, birds of paradise, and even a rare quetzal bird were flying about and singing. They all looked so much more healthier than Gavin had been when Ryan bought him. Livelier as they had almost free space to roam in and were protected from natural predators. Fed meals regularly and clearly taken care of by the staff. 

A lyrebird video caught his attention and Ryan was switching to that. He watched Gavin sit up a little straighter, watched the bright green eyes widen as the hybrid on the screen was mimicking everything he heard to a T. The hybrid would hear a noise and repeat it back nearly instantly, smiling as humans cheered in awe. It was clear the lyrebird on the video didn't actually understand English as most of what he said didn't make any sense. 

A noise in the middle of the video caught Ryan off guard again. The same noise he had heard earlier and he looked directly at his pet beside him. He watched as Gavin almost...hiccuped. The noise was soft and more of a squeak than anything but it was clearly a noise. The human smiled as he set the laptop forward and drew the bird into his lap carefully. "You are trying to talk! I knew it...c'mon Gavin...you can do it buddy." He paused the video, hands going to start rubbing the bird's arms and back to give him encouragement. "Let's try a simple word okay? No. All of the babies I've met love that word. No." He said it again looking to Gavin who was staring back at him with almost a fearful expression. 

"No, no, no, no, no." He repeated, smiling and Gavin gave him the hiccup again. "Almost, " He tapped his own lips and those eyes were following his mouth movements. "No." 

"....nngh." Came the response and Ryan was smiling brightly now, going to quickly start petting the hybrid again. 

"Good job! You're doing great. Keep it up...c'mon. If you do it, I'll make you something special to eat for dinner tonight okay? No." He repeated the word a final time and waited. Gavin hesitated, feathers puffing up a bit as he swallowed and he was making the noises again. It was clearly putting strain on him to do so but he was trying either way. 

"...nnngh.....oh..." 

"That's it! Who's such a good pretty bird? You are! You're such a talented pretty bird, yes you are!" 

"Nnnoh."

"Yes!" 

"No?" Now it came as more of a question and Gavin was tilting his head, unsure of if he got it right. His human was excited regardless and the bird felt him being rewarded with a lot of touch and plenty of praise. He smiled right back and didn't even complain as he was picked up into those strong arms and carried into the kitchen. He sure didn't even stop saying the new word as he was given a piece of raw bacon to chew on as a reward. 

The treat was enough to make him happy, wings fluttering as he ate it quickly and licked at his fingers to get the remaining grease off. Ryan didn't stop there however and started to fix up a dish that made Gavin's stomach grumble loudly. He had his food dish filled to the brim with eggs and strips of chicken and bacon that he was quickly downing like his life depended on it. All this for talking, something he thought he'd never do again. He could get used to it now if he wanted. 

Ryan was back at his computer as he ate and the human was tapping excitedly at the keys. The loud pinging noises rang through the house as he laughed and explained the messages he was receiving from his friends. "Gavin! Jack and Geoff said good job! They're so happy for you for talking! Michael says he fixed you! Jeremy....said some gibberish again but I assume he's happy too! Ah...this is great, you talked! You talked, you're doing such a great job!" 

"No!" 

"...though we should definitely teach you more words."

 

"Alright, let's hear it Gavin!" Geoff said as he stood in front of the cage where the bird was perched on top. He waited and was met with silence, frowning after a moment and looking back to Ryan. "...I thought you said he was talking." 

"...well maybe your scary face intimidates him? He had been talking non-stop since he learned the word." Ryan chuckled, grinning at the flabbergasted expression on Geoff's face. Jack was choking on his drink beside him and the two men dissolved into laughter. 

"Go away." Michael commanded from where he laid beside the bird, glaring at his owner as though he agreed it was Geoff's fault the lyrebird wasn't talking. Geoff scoffed back at the cat and reached to scratch behind the fluffy ears that immediately had the pet purring and melting into the touch. 

Geoff pulled away after a moment, having to jump over the dust bin on the floor and the content chinchilla slightly rolling in it. Luckily the rodent hybrid was calmer than usual and wasn't making too much of a mess even if there was a tarp down on the floor. 

"So what's this you were saying about me breeding Jeremy?" Jack asked, lowering his drink as he glanced over at Ryan. Geoff sat down nearby and the two men kept their focus on the third who blushed slightly. 

"Well...I was just talking to Gavin last night and was wondering if they were like animals? I mean, hybrids are such a tricky subject since they're so humanoid. You can't just go to a vet and say "alright fix him" and they snip his nuts off." Ryan sighed and leaned back against the couch. "I was just...kind of wondering if one day Gavin is going to want baby birds or something." 

Jack chuckled a bit, going for another sip but shook his head as he swallowed. "Well no, I won't breed Jeremy even if he wanted to." He looked over at the chinchilla now shaking off the excess dust. "Too many reports of people killing chinchilla hybrids just like they used to kill regular chinchillas. Since their tails are much longer, more fur per hybrid. I don't want to put Jeremy or his children in that kind of danger. Nope, if he wants kids we'll just have to get him a nice little stuffed animal to cuddle." 

They glanced at Geoff who had been tapping away at the controller in his hand during this level of Peggle and it took a minute before he looked back at them. "...what?" 

"Would you breed Michael?" 

"...with what? Cats are nasty when it comes to sex. I don't want to listen to him make females scream." Geoff snorted loudly and looked to the feline who now had his head draped across Gavin's lap and was being petted. "Michael!" The cat flicked his tail in response. "Do you want kittens?" 

"No." Michael growled, ears laying back as he snuggled closer into the bird. "Kittens too much work. Michael just want food, Gavin, Jeremy, and petted." 

Geoff shrugged with a loud laugh, turning back to his game. "Well that settles that! Easy answer when your hybrid understands English." 

"...yeah I guess." Ryan sighed, looking back to his bird who smiled at him. He smiled back but it was a bit sad. "...wish I could teach Gavin that so easily. He's got one word...but I'm not exactly sure he understands it." The frown that followed seemed to unsettle his hybrid as the lyrebird frowned right back. Before he could try and make the pet smile again, Gavin was opening his mouth. 

"No?" 

All humans and hybrids were now staring in surprise at Gavin who now looked thoroughly startled by the attention. He brought his wings forward, hiding behind them despite having Michael right in his lap and the cat yowled as he was buried in feathers. They laughed at his expense and Gavin was quickly fluttering away from the lashing claws. 

"Oh that reminds me," Jack was saying suddenly, reaching for his pockets to pull free a pamphlet and toss it on the new temporary table before them. "There's a school nearby that's looking for people to bring in their hybrids for a lecture. An expert on them is going to be speaking and he wants a variety to talk about so he's welcoming locals to bring theirs and any questions they have. Free food and expert help, so if you wanted some opinions Ryan that could probably help you out. I was considering bringing Jeremy since he's kind of rare. Most people have dogs, cats, and farm animals around here." 

"...huh...I haven't brought Gavin out of the apartment casually yet...I don't even know how he'd react to a trip outside." 

"Maybe we should take them to the park before we do anything like a lecture." 

 

Ryan didn't know what he should have expected when he hooked the lead to Gavin's ankle and gave it some give. The bird had been silent the entire drive out to the park and deadly quiet when his bare feet touched the grass. He felt uncomfortable with the pants clearly but after several yells of "no!" when Ryan struggled to get them on, the human now suspected Gavin's throat was sore. He stood back, watching the hybrid who stood there in the middle of the grassy knoll staring out at the park around him. He was frozen in place, breathing quickly, green eyes darting everywhere at the other hybrids that were sparingly being walked. 

"...Gav?" Ryan began and suddenly was pulled forward, crying out as the hybrid took off into the air. The lyrebird wasn't strong enough to lift him off the ground thankfully but it didn't stop him from nearly tearing Ryan's arm out if it's socket. "Gavin! Wait!" The bird froze in the air, flapping his wings steadily to stay up off the grass and looked to his owner with a bit of confusion. Ryan breathed and sighed, rubbing his sore shoulder. "...easy boy, okay? I know you probably really want to fly but you can't go far from me okay?" 

"No!" Gavin replied and Ryan took that as a yes more than anything. He let the lead go a bit more to give the bird more room to zoom around him and watched in awe as the brown and gray wings sailed over. 

"...whoa, I didn't know he could fly." Geoff muttered as he walked up beside Ryan and stared upwards. 

Ryan nodded slowly, watching as Gavin managed to do a flip and not get tangled in his leash. "...neither did I...I guess they didn't clip his wings a while before they sold him. The apartment is so cramped I've never had to see this." Slowly the man looked down and around. "...where's Michael?" 

"Somewhere. I didn't leash him." 

"Aren't you worried he'll run away?" 

"Nah, he loves eating regular meals too much." 

The two humans chuckled and moved for the nearby park bench to sit back as Ryan gave as much distance with the leash as he could manage. It took a few minutes for Gavin to finally land again. He was a bit rusty and crashed more than touched down gracefully. He recovered with a shout of "no!" however and was met with the feline hybrid who came racing out of nowhere to tackle him back against the dirt. The two rolled on the grass for a bit before Gavin stretched his wings out in the sun and relaxed back with the cat sprawling on top of one happily. 

They stayed like that for the longest time, content to nap soundly though Michael occasionally started at the slightest bark from a nearby canine. It wasn't until a loud series of chirping caught the lyrebird's attention and Ryan was looking up just in time to see Gavin knock Michael off of him roughly. A woman with a hybrid had entered the park and this wasn't just any hybrid but a vibrantly colored female bird that was chirping up a storm as she fluttered her large wingspan about. 

Michael was hissing, glaring between the new bird and his own claimed one. He reached to tug Gavin back down but the lyre was up on his feet and racing to the end of his leash to greet the female. She spotted him and there was two fluffed up pairs of wings splaying out in awkward nervous hello's. Ryan was getting to his feet, drawing in the line so he could have better control over his bird as he walked over to greet the woman. 

"Sorry, he hasn't seen another bird in a really long time." 

"Oh that's quite alright, Candy is really social. She would've gone to say hello herself if he hadn't come over." The woman was laughing, waving her hand as she dismissed the concern and looked over at Gavin who was now closer to the female more than ever. They were practically touching noses at this point. "What's his name?" 

"Gavin. He's a lyrebird." 

"Oh my, what a unique bird. Those are the ones that are really good at mimicking right?" 

"No!" Gavin said abruptly and the woman just burst into laughter as Candy leaned back confused. The bright blue wings folded behind her back spread out and overtook the smaller bird's wingspan immediately. Now Gavin shrunk back but the female just smiled and said "no!" right back at him. 

"Oh she can talk too?" 

"Oh yes, she's a blue macaw." 

"Oh!...oh those are endangered aren't they?" 

"Yes sadly, though proud to say Candy got pregnant just recently." The woman smiled at the macaw's slightly protruding stomach and Ryan eyed it carefully before he forced a smile. 

"Oh well that's good, with any luck the baby will be a macaw just like their mommy!" He cast a glance at Gavin who was now being prodded by female curiously and easily overshadowed by her size and coloration. When she poked his hair or nose, he'd protest with a "no" and she'd just repeat it right back at him. At one point he puffed up at her advances and she looked almost offended before she was taking off into the air. 

At this point Ryan noticed that the macaw wasn't on a leash at all and her powerful wings sent her soaring into the air. The height she reached didn't go unnoticed by the lyrebird who stared after her thoughtfully and followed her flight as she circled overhead. 

"Guess that means she's done talking, it was nice meeting you two!" The woman called as she jogged past them and the two males were left standing there with jaws slightly slacked open. Geoff walked up to Ryan's side, the cat now angrily huffing at his heels. 

"...so, did Gavin make a girlfriend or what?" 

Ryan couldn't help the soft fit of laughter that escaped him, shaking his head as he turned to head back towards the car park. "No, she's taken." He felt the leash tug and he paused, glancing back to Gavin who was still rooted in the same spot. He followed his gaze and found the bird still staring at the flying macaw. He frowned, heaved a sigh and gave a bit of a stronger tug to urge Gavin to follow. "...though I think it put a few things into perspective. I think I'm going to see about getting Gavin a girlfriend." 

 

The class was cheering the next day as Jack let Jeremy off his leash. The chinchilla was smiling broadly at the crowd as he started his routine of excited chirping. He bounced in place, moving from foot to foot before he took off running in between the desks and chairs. He scaled the bookcase in the back of the classroom with ease and back flipped off the top without toppling the furniture. He landed gracefully on his feet and used a nearby table to bounce off the walls and nearly run up to the ceiling before he was diving under the smaller spaces. He had energy to burn and was like watching poetry in motion. Ryan had to admit, it was amazing to view. 

The shorter hybrid was running towards them and Jack knelt down just to have the chinchilla scale his shoulders and back to land on top of the projector screen bar. He straightened up and offered a piece of apple to the rodent who took it happily and ate with both hands and small bites. A few kids laughed at how funny it was to see what appeared to be a grown man with animal features eating that way. 

"As you can see, children." The man giving the lecture was saying as he chuckled from his own seat in the corner. "Chinchillas are extremely agile. They can run up to ten miles per hour and can jump about four feet or higher straight into the air, consistently. These generally come in short bursts of energy however. Hybrids are no different. They have many similarities to the animals they represent!"

A girl raised her hand, pointing to the feline who was dozing off in a sun patch on the table by the window. "Is that why the cat guy hasn't done anything since he got here?" Geoff had to fight back his laughter, hand going over his mouth to hide his amusement.

The man barked an open laugh, pulling away from his seat and walked over to the cat who didn't even look up as he approached. "Ah yes, feline hybrids are notorious for this. Cats sleep most of their days away, even their lives really. They spend around fifty to seventy percent of their life napping." He stopped just short of the hybrid, holding a hand over the cat's ear and waited. The ear twitched frequently before Michael was blinking his eyes open slowly and glaring at the man. "They have very keen senses and hearing! They're practically able to tell when you're nearby without even doing anything!" 

He reached into his coat pocket when Michael sat up hissing and suddenly there was a small pen like device in his hand. He pointed the thing at the wall and turned it on, a red dot appearing against it. It took Michael a second to focus on it and then the cat was staring wide-eyed with curiosity as the circle moved around. "They're skilled hunters!" The man was saying before he quickly turned the laser to the other side of the room. 

Michael was leaping onto a student's desk for leverage and in the next second he was slamming against the wall. He recovered quickly, seemingly completely unfazed by the crash and his hand slammed against the dot. It was now on the back of his right hand and he glared at it suspiciously. 

"Though their comprehension is a bit-...uh-oh." The man froze as he now noticed narrowed yellow eyes glaring at him from across the room. He didn't get a chance to run before the cat tackled him back against the tiled floor and stole the laser pointer away from him. Some students cried out in fear but the majority of them were laughing at the lecturer's expense. Michael returned to Geoff, handing over the laser and sitting by him with a rather cocky smirk. 

"That's my boy." Geoff muttered, going to scratch behind his ears. 

"I probably deserved that-a good rule to live by kids...never underestimate a hybrid." The man was standing again, chuckling and in a rather good mood as he moved onto his next guest pet. The lizard hybrid was scaling the walls soon enough as the man went about explaining and Ryan shuffled a bit closer to his friends in the front of the room. 

Gavin had flown up into the rafters the moment they had entered the place and he couldn't blame the hybrid one bit. While it had awed the kids and got the conversations rolling, the spotlight had been on them and it was nerve-wracking. 

"Ready to go home?" Geoff asked curiously, tilting his head at the other gent who just kind of awkwardly smiled back. "Heh, I'll take that as a fuck yes. Kind of funny how you can sit in front of a camera and get up on a stage but you can't handle appearing at a lecture." He watched Ryan blush slightly and he smirked as the man sputtered out excuses how he was worried about Gavin. 

They pardoned themselves and the lecturer had the class thank them for their help before they were heading out to the large van they had borrowed to make the trip. The hybrids were placed in the back where the furthest seats were folded down and Jack was now in the middle as Geoff and Ryan took the front seats. Jack wound up laughing for the first few minutes of the drive as Jeremy constantly begged him for more apple slices to share with the other two. 

Gavin and Michael ate in a bit of silence, the chinchilla smiling brightly beside them. The bird yawned at some point though and his wings curled closer to his body. 

"...Gavin tired?" Michael asked, tilting his head and his ears twitched. The lyrebird stared at him blankly, still not fully understanding but his eyes blinked sleepily and that was enough of an answer for the cat. "Sleep." He leaned over to nuzzle against the thinner chest, running his rough tongue up the bird's neck in encouragement. Jeremy let out a little noise and Michael turned his attention back to the rodent. "What." He demanded.

The chinchilla let out the same noise again and the cat was huffing as he leaned over to give Jeremy the same exact lick he had given Gavin. The rodent settled immediately, his fluffy tail swishing happily beside him. It wasn't long before the free hybrids had formed a cocoon under Gavin's wings in the past of fading sunlight. Their humans chattering died down when Ryan had noted their position and it wasn't long before they were pulling into the drive of the apartment complex. 

"They can stay over with Gavin, if that's okay with you guys. Doesn't look like they want to be separated for long." Was the sentence that wound up with Ryan hauling the three creatures into his room and settling them near the bird's cage. Blanket thrown over and lights dimmed before he excused his friends and himself to bed. 

He paused just before he entered his room however, grabbing the laptop off it's desk and opening it as he cradled his body on his mattress. The light glanced through the screen and google was popping up immediately to help him. One search of "female bird hybrids" and he found himself flooded with all sorts of videos, sales, and information. "...oh boy." He muttered, hand scratching at his chin. "...it's going to be a while before I sort this information out."


End file.
